VOA News on Iran - Voice of Americahttps://www.voanews.com/archive/iran/latest/594/5422.html
VOA News On Iranhttps://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.pngVOA News on Iran - Voice of Americahttps://www.voanews.com/archive/iran/latest/594/5422.html
en2019 - VOA60Thu, 21 Mar 2019 14:47:38 -0400Pangea CMS – VOAIran Supreme Leader Calls European Trade Mechanism 'Bitter Joke'Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called a trade mechanism launched by European countries to bypass renewed US sanctions a "bitter joke" on Thursday, in a speech aired by state TV.
"This financial channel they recently set up resembles a joke, a bitter joke," Khamenei told a thousands-strong congregation at a shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad, where he speaks every year to mark Iranian new year.
Britain, France and Germany launched the special payment system, called INSTEX — the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges — in late January after President Donald Trump abruptly quit the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May last year.
The three countries were the European signatories to the deal, also signed by the US, Russia and China, that curbed Tehran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief.
London, Paris and Berlin launched the device in the hope it will help save the deal by allowing Tehran to keep trading with European companies despite Washington reimposing sanctions.
"The difference between what they are obligated to do and what they are proposing is as far as the earth is from the sky," Khamenei said.
"We should completely forego [any hope] of help or cooperation from westerners in strengthening our economy, we shouldn't wait for them," he added, calling western politicians "savages."
"Once again the Europeans have stabbed us in the back, they have betrayed us," Khamenei said.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-supreme-leader-calls-european-trade-mechanism-bitter-joke-/4841227.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-supreme-leader-calls-european-trade-mechanism-bitter-joke-/4841227.htmlThu, 21 Mar 2019 12:20:15 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastEuropeVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse)Turkey, Iran Join Forces Against Kurdish RebelsTurkey is heralding as groundbreaking a joint military operation with Iran against Kurdish rebel groups. Turkish-Iranian relations have markedly improved, to the concern of Turkey's Western allies.
Coordinated and concurrent military strikes against "terror groups" were carried out along the "borders of the two countries," read a statement by the Iranian Interior Ministry, released Wednesday and reported by Turkish media. The announcement came two days after Iran, through military sources quoted by the Fars news agency, denied involvement.
The Turkish interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, announced the operation Monday, declaring it "a first in history." The operation targeted the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which is fighting a decades-long insurgency for greater minority rights in Turkey.
Few details about the joint military mission, however, have been given by either Ankara or Tehran, other than a few photos, released Wednesday, showing Turkish soldiers in mountainous regions.
Ankara has long courted Tehran's support in its war against the PKK. The rebel group has used Iranian territory to enter Turkey from its main bases in Iraq, located near the Iranian border.
According to former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, Tehran's support would be essential in targeting the PKK's headquarters in Iraq's Qandil mountains.
"Iran is geographically important because the entry to Qandil is on the Iranian side, as Qandil is a complex mountainous region that is almost inaccessible," Selcen said.
Claims seen as not 'realistic'
Selcen opened Turkey's consulate in Iraq's Kurdish region and served in Baghdad, spending much of his time working on countering the PKK. Selcen has voiced skepticism about Ankara's claims of a breakthrough with Tehran in Ankara's war against the PKK.
"I don't find it realistic that such a [joint] operation took place. We have always heard for years that Iran will offer such cooperation, and it never happened. Because Iran has its problems with its Kurdish population, they would prefer to keep their own Kurdish region quiet," Selcen said.
The PKK has an Iranian wing called PJAK, which in recent years has mostly avoided confrontation with Iran's military forces.
Analysts often describe Iranian-Turkish relations as a combination of cooperation and rivalry. However, they say efforts to end the Syrian conflict are providing the impetus to strengthen bilateral cooperation, even though Iran and Turkey backed rival sides in the civil war.
The deepening bilateral relations coincide with a souring in ties between Turkey and the United States. Turkey is angered by America's support of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in its war against Islamic State. Turkey claims the YPG is affiliated with the PKK.
Turkish and U.S. military officials are in talks over the creation of a security zone in Syria to protect Turkey's border from the YPG.
With Turkish media reporting the U.S.-Turkish talks deadlocked, analysts suggest the announced Iranian-Turkish operation is sending a signal to Washington that Ankara has alternatives in combating the PKK and its affiliates.
"It's a credible idea if you are sitting behind your desk in Ankara," said Selcen. "But whether such a move will have much effect today on the U.S., I am not so sure, because Turkey and U.S. relations as they are right now have enough troubles. ... So it could be quite a risky strategy."
Pulling Ankara from West
Analysts say Iran, along with Russia, is working to draw Ankara away from its traditional Western allies. Both countries have committed themselves to developing deeper trade relationships with Turkey.
They point out, however, that there are limitations to this courtship, given they remain rivals in the region.
"We get no trading favors from either Iran or Russia, and that does not surprise me," said analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners, a business management consultancy in New York. "Iran and Russia understand a more prosperous Turkey would invade their markets and would eventually become a political rival to them."
Four years ago, Tehran and Ankara signed a preferential trade agreement to boost annual trade to $35 billion. In 2018, bilateral trade amounted to $9.3 billion, a nine-year low.
Trade is set to worsen after the Iranian parliament passed legislation in January aimed at encouraging use of locally produced goods.
"I don't know if it [the new legislation] is specifically against Turkish imports, but in reality, it does affect a lot of Turkish imports into Iran," said Yesilada. "I have spoken to dozens of businesses who told me Iranians had not granted any favors to Turkish businesspeople."
Similar skepticism has been expressed in the past by Turkish officials regarding Tehran's commitment to assisting Ankara in combating the PKK. "They always talk about cooperation, but when it comes to it, they do nothing," said a senior Turkish counterterrorism official, who asked not to be identified. Turkish government ministers in the past went as far as accusing Tehran of supporting the PKK in a bid to weaken Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is campaigning ahead of hotly contested local elections, is aware anti-Western rhetoric and policies play well with his nationalist and religious base. Analysts suggest with the election results of the last four years, Erdogan may have more room to maneuver for a diplomatic reset.
https://www.voanews.com/a/turkey-iran-join-forces-against-kurdish-rebels/4839951.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/turkey-iran-join-forces-against-kurdish-rebels/4839951.htmlWed, 20 Mar 2019 17:00:36 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastEuropeVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones)https://www.voanews.com/a/turkey-iran-join-forces-against-kurdish-rebels/4839951.html#commentsPompeo, Netanyahu Vow to Roll Back Iranian AggressionU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are vowing to counter what they call Iran's aggression in the Middle East.
"We need to increase it, we need to expand it, and together the United States and Israel are working in close coordination to roll back Iranian aggression in the region and around the world," Netanyahu said Wednesday, noting U.S. pressure on Iran is already having an impact.
He made the comments after regional security talks with Pompeo, who arrived in Israel from Kuwait earlier in the day.
During Wednesday's talks, Netanyahu and Pompeo emphasized the closeness of the U.S.-Israeli relationship and vowed to deter Iranian threats to Israel. Both leaders also announced President Donald Trump will host Netanyahu at the White House next week.
The Israeli prime minister thanked the U.S. secretary of state for the Trump administration's support for Israel and the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, calling the decision "historic."
Pompeo noted what he called threats toward Israel from Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei.
"The Ayatollah has declared that the annihilation and destruction of Israel is his primary goal," Pompeo said. "With such threats a daily reality of Israeli life, we maintain our unparalleled commitment to Israel's security and firmly support your right to defend yourself."
The top U.S. diplomat also said the Trump administration is dedicated to combating anti-Semitism, and hatred and bigotry in all forms.
"With the dark wave of anti-Semitism rising in Europe and in the United States, all nations, especially those in the West, must go to the barricades against bigotry," Pompeo said.
On Thursday, the secretary said he and his wife will visit the newly-opened U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, as well as historic and holy sites in the city.
Netanyahu's government is headed to a tough April 9 re-election contest as the prime minister is embroiled in a corruption investigation and facing allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Pompeo, in comments to reporters on route to the Middle East, dismissed the suggestion that his meeting with Netanyahu could be seen as the United States intruding in the Israeli election in support of Netanyahu.
A senior State Department official said last week that Pompeo would not be meeting with Netanyahu's opponents, but Netanyahu alone as the current head of the Israeli government.
Pompeo, speaking while traveling to the region, said the recent U.S. shift away from terminology describing the West Bank and Syria's Golan Heights as "Israeli-occupied" to that of "controlled" by the Jewish state was not accidental. He said that the characterization in a recent State Department report on human rights around the world about Israeli control of the disputed territories "was a factual statement about how we observe the situation. And we think it's very accurate, and we stand behind it."
From Israel, Pompeo will travel to his third and final stop on his Middle East trip, Beirut, Lebanon.
"We'll spend a lot of time talking with the Lebanese government about how we can help them disconnect from the threat that Iran and Hezbollah present to them," Pompeo said.
The United States considers Hezbollah, a militant Islamist political group, as a pro-Iranian "terrorist" organization, even though it is represented in the coalition government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a U.S. ally.
https://www.voanews.com/a/pompeo-netanyahu-vow-to-roll-back-iranian-aggression/4839799.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/pompeo-netanyahu-vow-to-roll-back-iranian-aggression/4839799.htmlWed, 20 Mar 2019 14:21:12 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastUSAVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Cindy Saine)https://www.voanews.com/a/pompeo-netanyahu-vow-to-roll-back-iranian-aggression/4839799.html#commentsIranians Prepare for Nowruz, the Persian New YearIranians on Wednesday were preparing for the annual Nowruz holiday that marks the Persian new year and the arrival of spring.
The holiday, dating back to at least 1700 B.C. and incorporating ancient Zoroastrian traditions, is the most important event in the Iranian calendar and is widely celebrated across the territories of the old Persian empire, from the Mideast to Central Asia.
Many Tehran residents were busy shopping and preparing to host family and friends over Nowruz, which will be celebrated Thursday. Street vendors pop up every year in crowded areas, offering lower prices.
Iran is facing an economic crisis in the wake the U.S. pullout from the nuclear deal with Tehran and re-imposed sanctions. Iran's currency, the rial, has plummeted, sending prices skyrocketing and wiping out many people's life savings.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iranians-prepare-for-nowruz-the-persian-new-year/4839452.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iranians-prepare-for-nowruz-the-persian-new-year/4839452.htmlWed, 20 Mar 2019 10:51:13 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)In Middle East, Pompeo Seeks Regional Support Against IranU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the Middle East for regional security talks as Washington looks to draw new support in its opposition to Iranian aggression.
Pompeo began is trip in Kuwait late Tuesday and headed to Israel Wednesday. His trip will also take him to Lebanon.
In Israel, Pompeo is due to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government is headed to a tough April 9 re-election contest as Netanyahu is embroiled in a corruption investigation and facing allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Pompeo, in comments to reporters en route to the Middle East, dismissed the suggestion that his meeting with Netanyahu could be seen as the U.S. intruding in the Israeli election in support of Netanyahu.
A senior State Department official said last week that Pompeo would not be meeting with Netanyahu's opponents, but Netanyahu alone as the current head of the Israeli government.
Netanyahu is visiting Washington next week for the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful Jewish lobbying group in the United States, and also could meet with President Donald Trump.
Pompeo said the recent U.S. shift away from terminology describing the West Bank and Syria's Golan Heights as "Israeli-occupied" to that of "controlled" by the Jewish state was not accidental.
He said that the characterization in a recent State Department report on human rights around the world about Israeli control of the disputed territories "was a factual statement about how we observe the situation. And we think it’s very accurate, and we stand behind it."
Pompeo said that on his third stop, in Beirut, "we’ll spend a lot of time talking with the Lebanese government about how we can help them disconnect from the threat that Iran and Hezbollah present to them."
The United States considers Hezbollah, a militant Islamist political group, as a pro-Iranian "terrorist" organization, even though it is represented in the coalition government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a U.S. ally.
https://www.voanews.com/a/pompeo-in-middle-east-to-seek-regional-support-against-iran/4839136.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/pompeo-in-middle-east-to-seek-regional-support-against-iran/4839136.htmlWed, 20 Mar 2019 06:29:26 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastUSAVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)Iran's Woes Briefly Go Up in Smoke During Fire FestivalIran's many woes briefly went up in smoke on Tuesday as Iranians observed a nearly 4,000-year-old Persian tradition known as the Festival of Fire.
The celebration is held on the last Tuesday night before Nowruz, or the Iranian New Year, which will be celebrated Thursday. The annual ritual dates back to at least 1700 B.C. and is linked to the Zoroastrian religion.
To celebrate, people light bonfires, set off fireworks and send wish lanterns floating off into the night sky. Others jump over and around fires, chanting "My yellow is yours, your red is mine," invoking the replacement of ills with warmth and energy.
The fire festival also features an Iranian version of trick-or-treating, with people going door to door and being given a holiday mix of nuts and berries, as well as buckets of water.
Arezou Abarghouei held hands with her daughter and husband as they leaped over a small fire in Tehran.
"Iranians love to celebrate, and they need it, especially now, when all of us are facing economic problems," she said. "This is a way to forget these difficulties just for one night.''
This year Nowruz comes at a time of growing economic hardship following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal and restore crippling sanctions. Iran's currency has plummeted in recent months, sending prices skyrocketing and wiping out many people's life savings.
The fire festival is one of two holidays with ancient roots that are still observed each year in the Islamic Republic, the other being a picnic day in early April.
The holiday offers a rare opportunity for Iranians to dance and celebrate in public, something authorities usually frown on. Police warned people to stay away from major streets and public squares, but largely ignored celebrations held inside neighborhoods.
Hard-liners discourage such celebrations, viewing them as pagan holdovers. The Western-allied monarchy that was toppled by the 1979 Islamic revolution had emphasized the country's pre-Islamic past, presenting itself as heir to a Persian civilization stretching back to antiquity.
The semi-official Fars news agency quoted head of the country's emergency committee as saying 155 people were injured during the celebrations, mainly from fireworks. It said 22 people lost limbs and 48 suffered eye injuries.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-woes-briefly-go-up-in-smoke-during-fire-festival/4838944.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-woes-briefly-go-up-in-smoke-during-fire-festival/4838944.htmlTue, 19 Mar 2019 23:00:05 -0400Arts & CultureMiddle EastArts & CultureVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)Exclusive: US Vows to Pursue Ship Owners Who Violate Iran Oil SanctionsA senior U.S. official says Washington is monitoring ships involved in clandestine transfers of Iranian oil and will hold anyone involved in such transfers responsible for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran.
"We are closely tracking ship-to-ship transfers of [Iranian] oil to evade our oil sanctions," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Counter Threat Finance and Sanctions David Peyman in an exclusive interview with VOA Persian recently at the State Department. "And we're working closely with foreign governments to ensure they are monitoring ship-to-ship transfers off their coasts."
One of the few companies monitoring global oil shipments, TankerTrackers.com, reported last week that it identified in February two cases of clandestine ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil with the transponders of the vessels involved being disabled. In an email sent Friday to VOA Persian, TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani said in both cases, a ship transferred Iranian oil to another ship before a third ship picked up the oil from the second ship and delivered it to a port.
"One transfer took around three months to complete, while the other happened during the span of a month or so," Madani said.
TankerTrackers.com has said Iranian crude oil tankers have been trying to hide their activities since August by switching off the Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders that reveal their position and other information.
President Donald Trump re-imposed U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports, Tehran's top revenue source, in November as part of his withdrawal from what he viewed as a flawed 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The sanctions unilaterally barred Iran from exporting oil to all but eight governments who were given six months to reduce their Iranian oil purchases to zero.
Peyman said U.S. authorities will act against ship owners, managers, insurance providers and mortgagees linked to vessels involved in the clandestine transfers of Iranian oil at sea. "If you are engaged in evasive action, which is really the worst kind of violation when it comes to U.S. sanctions, we will hold you accountable," Peyman said.
Flying their flags
In another U.S. step aimed at cracking down on Iranian efforts to evade oil sanctions, Peyman said Washington has secured pledges from several nations to avoid putting their flags on Iranian oil tankers.
Last month, a State Department news site said Panama stripped 59 Iranian-linked ships of their right to fly the Panamanian flag, in a move aimed at supporting U.S. sanctions. It said Panama's purge of the tankers from its ship registry, one of the world's largest, will make it harder for Iran to deliver oil to ports around the world.
"Panama really led the way for other countries to follow suit by pulling their own flags and for other countries to commit to the U.S. that they will not reflag those ships that the Panamanians withdrew their flag from," Peyman said.
The State Department declined to provide examples to VOA Persian of countries that committed not to reflag Iranian vessels that have been de-flagged by Panama.
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh has said Tehran will not comply with what it considers to be "illegal" U.S. sanctions. Speaking on a Jan. 10 visit to Baghdad, Zanganeh also said Iran will not discuss the volume or destination of its oil exports while it remained under U.S. sanctions.
Bypassing sanctions
Peyman said Washington also will take action against any company that uses a new European financial mechanism to engage Iran in transactions that violate U.S. sanctions. Britain, France and Germany launched the Institute in Support of Trade Exchanges, or INSTEX, in January to enable European companies to conduct business with Iran using barter techniques that bypass the U.S. financial system.
INSTEX's EU sponsors initially intend for it to facilitate humanitarian trade with Iran, but its scope could be expanded to other types of business. U.S. sanctions on Iran contain exemptions for the provision of humanitarian aid, food and medicine to the Iranian people.
Iran has called on EU leaders to ensure that it continues to receive international trade benefits promised under the 2015 nuclear deal that EU nations have sought to uphold following the U.S. pullout. But Iranian officials in recent weeks have expressed disappointment with what they view as the EU's slow rollout of INSTEX.
Tehran has good reason to be disappointed, according to Peyman.
"I've been to several countries in Europe, I've spoken with very large industry groups and businesses in the private sector … and every indication that I'm receiving is that there is absolutely no interest to utilize a European financial mechanism to do business with Iran," he said.
Peyman, who was born in Iran, said no "responsible" European businesses want to trade with an Iranian government they perceive as responsible for killing Americans and sponsoring terrorism on European soil. He said European companies also make an independent business decision, based on a cost-benefit analysis, to do business with the United States and use the U.S. financial system rather than to maintain a relationship with Iran.
Tehran sees itself as a victim, rather than a perpetrator, of terrorism.
"To the extent that there is any appetite by [companies] to use [INSTEX], we'll be tracking it very, very closely," Peyman said. "Those companies' ties to the U.S. financial system will be looked at, their use of U.S. banks will be looked at, and their use of non-U.S. banks that have ties to U.S. banks will be looked at. And we will look at any potential violations, direct or indirect, knowing or unknowing, of U.S. sanctions laws and will vigorously enforce [them]."
This article originated in VOA's Persian Service.
https://www.voanews.com/a/exclusive-us-vows-to-pursue-ship-owners-who-violate-iran-oil-sanctions/4838198.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/exclusive-us-vows-to-pursue-ship-owners-who-violate-iran-oil-sanctions/4838198.htmlTue, 19 Mar 2019 15:15:21 -0400VOA News on IranMiddle EastEconomyVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Michael Lipin)https://www.voanews.com/a/exclusive-us-vows-to-pursue-ship-owners-who-violate-iran-oil-sanctions/4838198.html#commentsUS Says Iran Missile Program Destabilizing Middle EastA senior U.S. arms control official said on Tuesday that Iran's missile program is destabilizing the Middle East and raising the risk of a "regional arms race" through the provision of such weapons to armed groups in Lebanon and Yemen.
U.S. President Donald Trump said when he quit a landmark 2015 deal that lifted international sanctions against Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear activities that it failed to rein in Iran's missile program or curb its regional meddling.
The United States has accused Iran of defying a U.N. Security Council resolution by carrying out a ballistic missile test and two satellite launches since December.
"Iran’s missile program is a key contributor to increased tensions and destabilization in the region, increasing the risk of a regional arms race," Yleem Poblete, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, said in a speech to the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament.
"Iran must immediately cease activities related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, and halt the proliferation of missiles and missile technology to terror groups and other non-state actors," she said, denouncing Iran's support to the Houthi movement in Yemen and to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
She said Iran had provided ballistic missiles to the Houthis that were fired into Saudi Arabia and unmanned aerial systems to Houthi groups that enable strikes against land-based targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
"We are committed to aggressively countering Iran's regional proliferation of ballistic missiles and its unlawful arms transfers," she added.
Poblete urged "all responsible countries" to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions restricting the transfer of missile-related technologies to Iran.
She further accused Iran of "pursuing pharmaceutical-based agents for offensive purposes", but did not elaborate.
An Iranian diplomat took the floor to reject her remarks as "cheap, unprofessional, false, irrelevant and pathetic" and accused the United States of "sabotaging" the Geneva forum.
"We should all be truly worried about the U.S. representative’s misbehavior as we all warn that they may turn violent since they lack any human logic to talk and listen in a normal manner as we are used to," he said.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-says-iran-missile-program-destabilizing-middle-east-/4837634.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-says-iran-missile-program-destabilizing-middle-east-/4837634.htmlTue, 19 Mar 2019 10:05:34 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)Iran Hints at Using Foreign Militias in Domestic CrackdownAn influential Iranian cleric says Iran might bring Shiite militias to the country from other parts of the Middle East to fight threats to the government.
Musa Ghazanfarabadi, head of the Tehran Islamic Revolution Courts, told religious students in Qom this month that his government could use foreign fighters to crack down on potential popular uprisings in Iran.
"If we don't support [our] revolution, the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi, the Afghan Fatemiyoun [Brigade], the Pakistani Zainebiyoun and Yemeni Houthis will come and support the revolution," he said.
Ghazanfarabadi was referring to Shiite militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen that have been formed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
These armed groups have played a major role in conflicts in Iraq and Syria, supporting the governments of both countries. In Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthis have been fighting Saudi-backed government forces for years.
Ghazanfarabadi's comments have triggered negative reactions inside Iran and abroad.
Seyyed Mostafa Tajzadeh, an Iranian reformist and a former minister, was among the first politicians to denounce the idea.
"What damage did you do to the Islamic Republic so you're asking help from other people to protect it, instead of seeking help from those who built it?" Tajzadeh​ said.
Reserve force?
Some analysts say the Iranian regime is considering the foreign fighters backed by Tehran as a potential reserve force for emergency use.
Saeed Bashirtash, a Belgium-based Iranian affairs analyst, believes that the presence of IRGC-controlled foreign militia could threaten any national movement seeking democratic change in Iran.
"These trained, brainwashed Shiite fighters can become a strong arm for the theocrats of Iran against anything intimidating them," he told VOA. "They could be used as a force to suppress and destroy any democratic movement in the future."
Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, a global affairs research group in Washington, believes Abadi's threat "is very far-fetched." She told VOA she "can only speculate that it was meant to show that there is solidarity behind the regime's ideology that extends to all these disparate groups."
Slavin doubts the concept will materialize.
"Many of the players are simply being opportunistic in accepting Iranian help and vice versa, that Iran grooms proxies to serve its regional interests," she said.
Precedent
Seeking help from non-Iranian groups is not unprecedented in Iran. In the protests during the 2009 presidential election, also known as the Green Revolution, Tehran reportedly brought foreign agents to persecute Iranian protesters in Tehran and elsewhere in the country.
Shahrooz Pezeshkpour, a London-based Iranian political activist, said he was "surrounded and beaten by two" non-Iranian agents during the 2009 protest movement.
"They called their associates on the radio speaking in [Lebanese] Arabic. Then, two other men appeared in anti-riot police uniforms, arrested me, and transferred me to a nearby detention center," Pezeshkpour told VOA.
Afghan fighters
Iran has sent thousands of Shiite Afghan refugees to Syria to fight alongside other Iranian-backed forces in support of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Iran's army recruits them with promises of citizenship and improved living standards for their families.
Analysts say Ghazanfarabadi's comments could be a hint at the possibility of returning those fighters to Iran once the conflict in Syria is over.
"That might apply to Afghans who fought in Syria in return for promises of legal residence in Iran," Slavin said. "I doubt it applies to the others."
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-hints-at-using-foreign-militias-in-domestic-crackdown/4837159.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-hints-at-using-foreign-militias-in-domestic-crackdown/4837159.htmlMon, 18 Mar 2019 20:40:56 -0400Extremism WatchMiddle EastExtremism WatchVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Mehdi Jedinia, Sirwan Kajjo)https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-hints-at-using-foreign-militias-in-domestic-crackdown/4837159.html#commentsMinister: Turkey, Iran Launch Joint Raid Against Kurdish RebelsTurkey and Iran on Monday started a joint military operation against Kurdish rebels on Turkey's eastern border, state-run Anadolu news agency quoted the interior minister as saying.
Turkey has recently talked about a possible joint operation with neighbour Iran to counter outlawed militants from the the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), but this is the first time Turkish authorities have confirmed a raid.
"We started staging a joint operation with Iran against the PKK on our eastern border as of 0800 (0500 GMT) this morning," Suleyman Soylu said of the operation against the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.
"We will announce the result later," he said.
Soylu did not specify precisely which PKK bases the planned operation targeted but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in the past said it would be against militant hideouts in Iraq.
The Turkish military has often bombed PKK bases in Iraq's mountainous northern regions as part of its decades-long operations against the group.
Iranian security forces have also fought the PKK affiliate, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK). Both groups have rear bases in neighboring Iraq.
The PKK has waged a three-and-a-half decade insurgency against the Turkish state, initially seeking independence and more recently autonomy for Turkey's Kurdish minority. Fighting has left tens of thousands dead.
https://www.voanews.com/a/minister-turkey-iran-launch-joint-raid-against-kurdish-rebels-/4835807.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/minister-turkey-iran-launch-joint-raid-against-kurdish-rebels-/4835807.htmlMon, 18 Mar 2019 08:56:53 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Agence France-Presse)Rouhani: Iran Will File Legal Case Against US for SanctionsIranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the government would file a legal case in Iran against U.S. officials who imposed sanctions on the country as a precursor to action in international courts.
Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television that U.S. sanctions had created difficulties including a weaker rial currency that has fed into higher inflation.
The United States reimposed sanctions on Tehran after U.S.
President Donald Trump chose last May to abandon Iran's 2015 nuclear accord, negotiated with five other world powers.
Rouhani said he had ordered the ministries of foreign affairs and justice "to file a legal case in Iranian courts against those in America who designed and imposed sanctions on Iran". "These sanctions are crime against humanity," he added.
If the Iranian court finds against the U.S. officials, Iran will pursue the case in international courts of justice, the president said.
Iranian complaints about sanctions in the international courts have occasionally succeeded. In October, judges at the International Court Of Justice (ICJ) ordered the United States to ensure sanctions do not affect humanitarian aid or civil aviation safety, a small victory for Tehran.
"The Americans have only one goal: they want to come back to Iran and rule the nation again," Rouhani said, reiterating Tehran's view that U.S. sanctions are aimed at overthrowing the government and ushering in one more aligned with U.S. policies.
Rouhani said the government had managed to "put a brake on the fall of rial" but that balance has not yet returned to the foreign currency market.
The rial was trading at 131,500 per U.S. dollar on Monday on the unofficial market, almost three times weaker than a year ago, but off record lows around 190,000 hit in late September.
Iranian central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati also accused Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other U.S. officials on Monday of waging a "psychological war" to stir panic in the currency market.
Hemmati was quoted as saying by state media that "the central bank is in full control of the market".
The U.S. sanctions permit trade in humanitarian goods such as food and pharmaceuticals but measures imposed on banks, and trade restrictions, could make such items more expensive as well as more difficult to pay for.
Trump said when he pulled out of the landmark 2015 deal that lifted international sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its atomic activities that it failed to rein in Iran's missile program or curb its regional meddling.
https://www.voanews.com/a/rouhani-says-iran-will-file-legal-case-against-us-for-sanctions/4835651.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/rouhani-says-iran-will-file-legal-case-against-us-for-sanctions/4835651.htmlMon, 18 Mar 2019 05:32:01 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)https://www.voanews.com/a/rouhani-says-iran-will-file-legal-case-against-us-for-sanctions/4835651.html#commentsIran's Oil Minister Blames US for Market Tensions Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Saturday that frequent U.S. comments about oil prices had created market tensions, the ministry's news website SHANA reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made the U.S. economy one of his top issues, has repeatedly tweeted about oil prices and the Organization of the Petroleum Producing Countries. He has expressed concern about higher prices, including last month and ahead of OPEC's meeting in December.
"Americans talk a lot and I advise them to talk less. They [have] caused tensions in the oil market for over a year now, and they are responsible for it, and if this trend continues, the market will be more tense," SHANA quoted Zanganeh as saying.
U.S. crude futures briefly hit a 2019 high on Friday but later retreated along with benchmark Brent oil as worries about the global economy and robust U.S. production put a brake on prices.
OPEC and its allies including Russia, an alliance known as OPEC+, agreed last year to cut production, partly in response to increased U.S. shale output.
Washington granted waivers to eight major buyers of Iranian oil after the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iran's oil sector in November, after withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
"We do not know whether U.S. waivers would be extended or not. We will do our job but they [the U.S.] say something new every single day," Zanganeh said.
South Pars
Zanganeh was speaking at a news conference ahead of the planned inauguration on Sunday of four development phases at South Pars, the world's largest gas field, by President Hassan Rouhani.
He said Iran had invested $11 billion to complete the phases 13 and 22-24 of the giant field, which Tehran shares with Qatar, and expected to operate 27 phases by next March, SHANA reported.
France's Total and China National Petroleum Corp suspended investment in phase 11 of South Pars last year after the United States threatened to impose sanctions on companies that do business in Iran.
But Zanganeh said talks with CNPC were continuing.
"Negotiations are ongoing. A senior delegation from China is due to come to Iran for talks. They have promised to come to Iran soon," said Zanganeh, according to the semiofficial news agency ISNA.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-oil-minister-blames-us-for-market-tensions-/4834656.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-s-oil-minister-blames-us-for-market-tensions-/4834656.htmlSat, 16 Mar 2019 20:12:29 -0400EconomyMiddle EastEconomyVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)Lawyer: US Navy Veteran Held in Iran Sentenced to 10 YearsA Washington-based lawyer says a U.S. Navy veteran held in Iran, the first American known to be detained since President Donald Trump took office, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Mark Zaid told The Associated Press on Saturday that Michael White was convicted on charges of insulting Iran's supreme leader and posting private information.
Zaid says he learned of the sentence from the State Department, which in turn learned of it from the Swiss government, which looks over American interests in Iran.
Iranian state media have not reported the sentence, first reported by The New York Times.
White, of Imperial Beach, California, went to Iran to see a girlfriend he met online and had booked a July 27 flight back home. He never returned.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-us-navy-veteran-michael-white/4834186.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-us-navy-veteran-michael-white/4834186.htmlSat, 16 Mar 2019 13:49:49 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastUSAVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)Khamenei Tells Iran's Establishment 'Not to Be at Each Other's Throats'Iran’s Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday told member of the country’s Assembly of Experts “not to be at each other's throats over this or that convention or agreement.”
Khamenei was most probably referring to international anti-money laundering and anti-corruption conventions demanded by the international watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a multilateral agency based in Paris.
FATF has asked Iran to amend its laws to ensure adequate financial standards, which President Hassan Rouhani’s government and the parliament have agreed to, but the conservatives close to Khamenei have blocked two of the proposed bills.
Iran’s hard-line leader told his audience, “When a certain convention or agreement is being discussed in the county, supporters and opponents should express their points of views, and the two sides should not accuse each other of camaraderie with the enemy” and inflame conflict with one another.
Khamenei’s remark about the bills comes one day after the Assembly of Experts warned about the “strategic” danger of accession to the conventions. Until now, Khamenei has not revealed his own position about the FATF demands, but all his conservative allies have rallied against them. The Assembly is also controlled by Khamenei.
The constitutional role of the institution is to choose the Supreme Leader and supervise his work, but the Assembly has turned into a body praising Khamenei and echoing all his statement.
During his remarks Khamenei repeatedly told his followers to “separate their ranks from those of the enemy,” adding that one should not accuse anyone who opposes him of “supporting the enemies.”
Khamenei’s conservative supporters often attack other politicians or rights activists by accusations of spying and collaborating with Islamic Republic’s enemies. Iran’s Supreme Leader often uses the term “enemy” to mean the United States and to an extent Israel.
Despite his call not to label people as collaborators, he said that those who question Islamic Republic’s role in the Middle East “in fact are helping the enemy”. He claimed that “the enemy” is afraid of Iran in the region.
The U.S., Israel and to an extent Western Europe have expressed concern over Iran’s interventionist foreign policy in regional counties, such as Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.
Speaking about U.S. sanctions, Khamenei said that while the United States talks about implementing “the strongest sanctions,” “if we mobilize maximum” resources, “we will inflict the heaviest defeat on America in that country’s history”.
Iran's leaders often use the rhetoric of mobilizing resources and relying on domestic talent to defy tough challenges, which they have largely created with their own foreign and domestic policies.
Khamenei's favorite "Resistance Economy" is one slogan aimed at making the country self-sufficient, but in fact the country's economy has gone into a tailspin since the re-introduction of U.S. sanctions in 2018.
Khamenei also spoke about “enemy’s influence on cyberspace and on the country’s culture.” This is also a favorite theme for the supreme leader and his conservative followers.
https://www.voanews.com/a/khamenei-tells-iran-establishment-not-to-be-at-each-other-s-throats/4829703.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/khamenei-tells-iran-establishment-not-to-be-at-each-other-s-throats/4829703.htmlThu, 14 Mar 2019 19:25:44 -0400VOA News on IranVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (RFE/RL's Radio Farda)US Says Sanctions Have Cost Iran $10 Billion in Oil Revenue Iran has lost $10 billion in revenue since U.S. sanctions in November have removed about 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude from global markets, a U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday.
Brian Hook, the State Department's special representative on Iran, said in remarks at the CERAWeek energy conference that due to a global oil surplus - in part due to record U.S. production - the United States is accelerating its plan of bringing Iranian crude exports to zero.
U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, two of the largest oil producers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and production cuts by OPEC and Russia have boosted global oil prices to near four-month highs.
Iran reached an agreement with world powers in 2015 over its nuclear program which led to the lifting of sanctions in 2016 but U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in May last year and reimposed restrictions in November.
Trump "has made it very clear that we need to have a campaign of maximum economic pressure" on Iran, Hook said, "but he also doesn't want to shock oil markets, he wants to ensure a stable and well-supplied oil market. That policy has not changed."
The global oil market is looking for signs that Washington may extend sanctions waivers for Iran's key customers in early May. The United States surprised the market in November last year by allowing eight countries to keep importing Iranian oil - in part causing Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, to fall to near $50 a barrel in late December after surpassing $86 a barrel in October.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has projected that world supply will exceed demand in 2019 by 440,000 bpd, Hook said.
"When you have a better supplied oil market it enables us to accelerate our path to zero. But we also know that there are a lot of variables that go into a well-supplied and stable oil market," said Hook, a senior policy adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Washington sanctioned Venezuelan oil exports in January in an effort to oust President Nicolas Maduro and a massive power outage since last week halted crude exports from its primary port, essentially crippling the South American country's principal industry.
"We are aware that our diplomatic and economic pressure, the timing and the pace of that affects Venezuela's oil industry," Hook said.
He said the United States is monitoring global supplies for impact from sanctions. "I've met a few times with (Saudi Energy Minister) Khalid al-Falih over the last year when we knew we were taking a lot of oil, we wanted to ensure that we're doing this in a responsible way," he said.
Falih said on Sunday that OPEC's production-curbing agreement likely would last until at least June. OPEC and its allies agreed late in 2018 to cut output by 1.2 million bpd.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-says-sanctions-have-cost-iran-10-billion-in-oil-revenue-/4827948.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-says-sanctions-have-cost-iran-10-billion-in-oil-revenue-/4827948.htmlWed, 13 Mar 2019 18:11:52 -0400VOA News on IranVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)US Rights Report Highlights Venezuela, Iran, ChinaThe U.S. State Department is painting a grim picture of violations and abuses in countries that already have dismal records in its "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2018."
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday highlighted abuses in Iran, South Sudan, Nicaragua and China in his remarks on the release of the report.
"I wish I could say that the record of every country evaluated in this year's report is spotless or even improved, but it's simply not the case," Pompeo said.
This year's report evaluates the practices of roughly 200 countries and territories.
Venezuela
In Latin America, the report cited extrajudicial killings, the stifling of free expression, and restrictions on political participation in Venezuela. It said the May 20, 2018, presidential vote that re-elected Nicolas Maduro was "deeply flawed" and was boycotted by the opposition and condemned by the international community.
The State Department report also pointed to issues including "pervasive corruption and impunity among all security forces" in Venezuela and in the Maduro government, "trafficking in persons and the worst forms of child labor, which the government made minimal efforts to eliminate."
"The situation on the ground is deteriorating. It's so tragic. The humanitarian conditions there are just awful. You have people starving, can't get medicine to the sick," Pompeo said in an interview in Houston.
"The human rights situation in Venezuela is terrible" and is only getting worse, said Ambassador Michael Kozak from the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, adding the denial of U.S. medical and food aid by the Maduro government only exacerbates its humanitarian crisis.
Iran
On Iran, the report said, "The government's human rights record remained extremely poor and worsened in several key areas."
The high-profile case of Iranian attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh was featured in the report. Sotoudeh, who represents political prisoners and women that protested against the country's compulsory hijab law, was arrested on June 13, 2018, on national security charges.She was sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes on March 12, 2019.
"We are outraged," said State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino in Tuesday's briefing. "This sentence is beyond barbaric."
The human rights report also pointed to issues including executions for crimes without fair trials, arbitrary killings and forced disappearance, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, systematic use of arbitrary detention and imprisonment, unlawful interference with privacy, and severe restrictions on free expression, the press and the internet.
China
On China, the State Department's human rights report said the government significantly intensified its campaign of mass detention of members of Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang).
Pompeo said China is "in a league of its own" when it comes to human rights violations.
"Today, more than 1 million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslims are interned in reeducation camps designed to erase their religious and ethnic identities. The government also is increasing its persecution against Christians, Tibetans and anyone who espouses different views from those or advocates those of government — or advocates change in government," said the top U.S. diplomat.
Other issues include arbitrary detention by the Chinese government; physical attacks on and the criminal prosecution of journalists, lawyers, petitioners, and their family members; severe restrictions on religious freedom; the forcible return of asylum-seekers to North Korea, where they have a well-founded fear of persecution; and official repression of the freedom of speech, religion, movement, association and assembly in Tibet, according to the report.
China says it is running a deradicalization program and that the camps are vocational training centers to teach people about the law and the Mandarin language.Chinese authorities said Tuesday that the camps in Xinjiang will "gradually disappear" if a time arises when "society does not need them."
Samuel Brownback, the U.S. ambassador for religious freedom, said Friday during a speech in Hong Kong that China's detentions are not proportionate to any real threat it faces from extremism.
"China is not solving a terrorist problem by forcibly moving women, children, the elderly and the highly educated intelligentsia into mass detention centers and internment camps. Instead, they are creating one," he said.
U.S. lawmakers are pressuring the Trump administration to take stronger actions against China. The House Foreign Affairs Committee told Pompeo last week it "appears the administration has taken no meaningful action" on the matter.
Pompeo said the administration is considering sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for rights abuses against the Uighurs in Xinjiang.
Reproductive rights missing
Separately, critics on Wednesday pointed to the fact that the report does not highlight countries that commit human rights abuses around reproductive health.
"For the last 25 years, most of the world has recognized that empowering women to control their bodies helps them and their families to access other rights, but you wouldn't know that from today's report," said Sarah Margon, Washington director at Human Rights Watch.
"The State Department is essentially deciding that a significant set of women's rights are not human rights at all," she added.
It is the second time since 2012 the State Department's human rights report eliminated references to women's "reproductive rights" since 2012.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-rights-report-highlights-venezuela-iran-china/4827850.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-rights-report-highlights-venezuela-iran-china/4827850.htmlWed, 13 Mar 2019 17:24:34 -0400USAUSAEast AsiaAmericasVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Nike Ching)https://www.voanews.com/a/us-rights-report-highlights-venezuela-iran-china/4827850.html#commentsIran Threatens Defense Overhaul to Counter 'Suspicious Nuclear Projects'A senior Iranian security official on Wednesday accused regional powers of spending money on "suspicious nuclear projects," and warned that such threats would force Tehran to revise its defense strategy.
Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, did not name the countries — but a proposed transfer of U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia has raised concerns in Tehran.
The United States, Israel and other allies say Iran's own nuclear program is a threat to global security. Iran insists its atomic work is entirely peaceful, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a religious decree against the development of nuclear weapons.
"Some countries in the region are spending their petro-dollars on suspicious nuclear projects that can endanger the security of the region and the world," Shamkhani was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
"New threats like this will force us to revise our strategy based on the nature and geography of new threats, and predict the requirements of our country and armed forces," he added.
Animosity between Washington and Tehran — bitter foes since Iran's 1979 revolution — has intensified since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from an international nuclear deal with Tehran last May and re-imposed sanctions lifted under the accord.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States last month of hypocrisy for trying to wreck Iran's nuclear program while seeking to sell nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, Tehran's regional rival.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-threatens-defense-overhaul-to-counter-suspicious-nuclear-projects-/4827689.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-threatens-defense-overhaul-to-counter-suspicious-nuclear-projects-/4827689.htmlWed, 13 Mar 2019 14:58:23 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)UAE: 7 Emiratis, 2 Egyptians Detained by Iran Were FreedThe United Arab Emirates says seven Emiratis and two Egyptians held by Iran since January after being detained in the Persian Gulf have been freed.
The Emirati Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday the nine were detained while on a fishing trip.
It said those detained were released into the care of the UAE Coast Guard.
Iranian media quoted Emirati media on the release, without elaborating on the case.
https://www.voanews.com/a/uae-seven-emiratis-two-egyptians-detained-by-iran-were-freed/4827404.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/uae-seven-emiratis-two-egyptians-detained-by-iran-were-freed/4827404.htmlWed, 13 Mar 2019 12:54:13 -0400Middle EastMiddle EastVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)Top Official Says US Has Cautioned Europe On 'Risks' With Iran Trade A senior U.S. Treasury Department official has told a Congressional subcommittee that U.S. has “engaged extensively with European countries on the significant risks” of providing Iran with a special facility for trade.
Under Secretary of U.S. Treasury Sigal Mandelker, the head of Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) told the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services on March 12, the U.S. continues “to maximize economic pressure on the regime to combat its weapons proliferation, terrorism, and regionally destabilizing activities”.
Mandelker also told lawmakers that the Treasury has formed a unit called The Iran Finance Fusion Cell, which “is an intra-TFI and interagency group that is building out our knowledge of Iran’s malign activities and considering new ways to take action against Iran and Iranian-backed illicit actors”.
Mandelker detailed U.S. actions since the reimposition of full U.S. sanctions on Iran in November 2018. She said that currently 927 entities, individuals, vessels and aircraft are on U.S. sanctions list.
But Washington’s European allies have adopted a different approach, while trying not to directly breach U.S. sanctions.
When in May 2018 President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, European countries pledged to take steps to preserve the deal. The main issue was Iran’s demand to continue to enjoy economic benefits for abiding by the nuclear agreement, which was weakened by the U.S. withdrawal.
Europe promised a Special Purpose Vehicle to facilitate barter trade with Iran. After months of wrangling, in January Europe announced the Instrument In Support Of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) to run a payments channel that would allow goods to be bartered between European and Iranian companies without the need for direct financial transactions. This would eliminate banking transactions that would violate U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. has cautioned Europe on doing business with Iran but has refrained from directly challenging INSTEX as a sanctions-busting mechanism.
The European trade mechanism is still not operational. Iran has been asked by the international financial watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to amend its legal safeguards against money laundering (AML) and financial support for terrorism (CFT), as a precondition to preserve normal banking ties with the world.
So far Iran has not fully met FATF’s requirements and this seems to be an issue for Europe, which in turn has not operationalized INSTEX. Iranian officials seem to be signaling that they won’t enact legislation to comply with FATF requirements until Europe allows trade. And although European countries have not categorically conditioned trade with the need for financial safeguards, but the two are probably linked.
After Iran failed to meet an FATF deadline in February, the multilateral agency extended the deadline to June 2019.
Mandelker in her testimony mentioned Iran’s reluctance to adopt the internationally required financial safeguards, telling the subcommittee, “we have engaged extensively with European countries on the significant risks of launching a special purpose vehicle for a country that has repeatedly failed to adopt international AML/CFT safeguards.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/top-official-says-us-has-cautioned-europe-on-risks-with-iran-trade-/4827373.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/top-official-says-us-has-cautioned-europe-on-risks-with-iran-trade-/4827373.htmlWed, 13 Mar 2019 12:32:31 -0400VOA News on IranVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (RFE/RL's Radio Farda)Iranian Lawyers Join Global Backlash to Iran's Sentencing of Rights DefenderA group of Iranian lawyers has added its voice to international criticism of Tehran for sentencing a female colleague to additional years in prison in relation to her work in defending Iranian rights activists.
In an open letter to the Iranian people dated Tuesday and sent by one of the authors to VOA Persian, the group of 16 lawyers said the multiyear sentencing of lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, announced by Iranian state media Monday, violates the Iranian constitution's commitments to human rights and fair trials.
"It is a source of shame and shows a lack of tolerance in dealing with lawyers who are critical of the system, a sign of the weakness of the judiciary," said the letter, also published online by Iran's Human Rights Activist News Agency.
"We praise Sotoudeh's integrity, passion and independence in fighting for justice and human rights, and call for her unjust sentence to be overturned," added the lawyers.
Sotoudeh was arrested at her home last June after she defended women detained earlier in the year for staging street protests against Iran's compulsory hijab law. In reports published Monday, Iranian state media quoted judge Mohammad Moghiseh as saying Sotoudeh was sentenced to seven years in prison: five years for "crimes against national security" and two years for "insulting" Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
At the time of her 2018 arrest, Iranian authorities informed Sotoudeh that she also had been found guilty in absentia of espionage and sentenced to five years in prison in that case.
London-based rights group Amnesty International posted a Monday report saying authorities at Tehran's Evin prison, where Sotoudeh is jailed, informed her this week that her new sentence was 33 years and 148 lashes for a case involving seven security-related offenses.
Amnesty said it was not clear if Moghiseh's announcement of a seven-year prison term for Sotoudeh was related to the case involving the seven charges. "If [Moghiseh's] report was referring to the same case, Amnesty International cannot currently explain why the information appears to contradict that provided to Sotoudeh by the office for the implementation of sentences in Evin prison," the group said.
In a Facebook post Monday, Sotoudeh's husband Reza Khandan wrote that his wife has been sentenced to a total of 38 years in prison and 148 lashes, with five years for a first case and 33 years for the second. His reference to a "first case" appeared to match the five-year sentence for espionage, handed down to Sotoudeh in absentia last year. Khandan told the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) that he got the figures from Sotoudeh in a phone call that lasted only a few minutes without time to get into details.
​International backlash
U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Palladino criticized the latest sentencing of Sotoudeh, sarcastically asking Khamenei whether it marks the "new era of justice" that he talks about.
In a Tuesday statement, the EU described Sotoudeh's sentencing as a "worrying development."
"The EU expects an immediate review of her sentence as well as the conviction of her husband Reza Khandan, who was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment in January 2019," an EU spokesperson said. "The European Union also expects Iran to ensure that both Khandan and Sotoudeh's right to appeal their sentences is protected."
Amnesty denounced Sotoudeh's sentencing in stronger terms.
"It is absolutely shocking that Sotoudeh is facing nearly four decades in jail and 148 lashes for her peaceful human rights work, including her defense of women protesting against Iran's degrading forced hijab [veiling] laws," said Philip Luther, the group's Middle East research director. "Sotoudeh must be released immediately and unconditionally and this obscene sentence quashed without delay."
There was no immediate response by the Iranian government to the international backlash against Sotoudeh's new sentence. Sotoudeh previously served three years in prison from 2010 to 2013 for security-related charges relating to her human rights work, which has won her several international accolades.
This article originated in VOA's Persian Service. Shahram Bahraminejad contributed from Washington.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iranian-lawyers-join-global-backlash-to-iran-s-sentencing-of-rights-defender/4826748.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/iranian-lawyers-join-global-backlash-to-iran-s-sentencing-of-rights-defender/4826748.htmlTue, 12 Mar 2019 20:50:15 -0400VOA News on IranMiddle EastVOA News on Iranwebdesk@voanews.com (Michael Lipin)https://www.voanews.com/a/iranian-lawyers-join-global-backlash-to-iran-s-sentencing-of-rights-defender/4826748.html#comments